


The Unexpected Gift

by MorganaNK



Category: Inspector Lynley - All Media Types, Inspector Lynley Mysteries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 17:35:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9000211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganaNK/pseuds/MorganaNK
Summary: Tommy is alone on Christmas Eve when he gets a visitor





	

**Author's Note:**

> Property of Elizabeth George and the BBC, no copyright infringement intended.

The knock at the door late on Christmas Eve surprised me as no one knew that I was at home. I was supposed to be spending Christmas at Howenstow, but I couldn’t bear the thought of yet another round of the Lynley family arguments that always occurred once alcohol dissolved the thin veneer of upper class politeness we all did our best to hide behind the rest of the year. I knew I was just as much to blame as the rest of them; if there was one thing we Lynleys did well it was hold grudges.

Glass of whiskey in hand, I padded down the hallway and opened the front door to find Barbara standing there, her hands on her hips.

She looked me up and down with a critical eye before announcing loudly, “I thought as much!”

I looked at her quizzically, “excuse me?”

She didn’t wait for an invitation, lifting the whiskey glass from my hand as she pushed her way past me and into my house. I closed the door and turned to face her, stunned at her behaviour.

“What are you doing here Barbara?”

“Checking up on you. Stopping you from drinking yourself unconscious. Being your friend. You can take your pick.”

“How did you know I’d be here?” I wondered if Mother had called her and asked her to look in on me.

“I’m a detective Sir; but more than that I am your friend, and you’ve been evasive any time anyone asked you about your plans for Christmas. It didn’t take much working out. Now, are we going to stand here all night or shall we move this conversation somewhere more comfortable?”

I shook my head in disbelief, but made my way to the lounge, Barbara following close behind me. She made herself comfortable, removing her jacket and slipping off her shoes before curling up in the corner of my couch.

“I would offer you a drink but you’ve already helped yourself to one,” I said as I gestured to where my liberated whiskey tumbler sat on the table beside her.

“I’m fine thank you Sir.”

“That was kind of what I meant!” I sat down in the chair opposite and ran my fingers through my hair. 

“Why didn’t you go to Howenstow this year?”

“Get straight to the point why don’t you!”

“Stop trying to push me away Sir, it isn’t going to work.”

“Push you away?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not trying to push you away, I’m trying to work out why you’re here.”

“We’ve covered that, so talk to me Sir, tell me why you didn’t go to Howenstow.”

“I don’t understand why my social life is suddenly your concern.”

Barbara closed her eyes and took a deep breath, “I’m worried about you. When you spend time alone you drink too much and you brood too much.”

“Are there any more of my character faults that you’d like to bring up?”

Barbara surprised me by leaning forward and taking hold of both of my hands in hers.

“Sir, I didn’t come here to assassinate your character. You’ve obviously got things on your mind, if you didn’t you would be sitting round the fire at Howenstow with your family instead of being on your own nursing a glass full of whiskey here. You’ve been there for me and helped me so many times, let me be there for you now. Talk to me.”

I pulled my hands free and began to pace the room, “you don’t have the monopoly on dysfunctional families Barbara, in fact mine make yours look positively normal.”

“Every family has problems; doing the work that we do should have shown you that. Yours are no different and anyway, I thought that you were working at your relationships, that you were making progress with Peter and your mother.”

“We try, but in reality, it is all just lip service. Once we spend too much time together things deteriorate, and when you add alcohol…” my voice trailed off.

“Oh Sir, you should have told me, I would have been there for you, to listen to you if nothing else.”

“Thank you Barbara, but you have had to put up with enough drama from me as it is. You shouldn’t be here, giving up your Christmas to check up on me.”

“I’m not Sir, I’m visiting a friend that I am concerned about, making sure that he knows that he doesn’t have to be alone.”

I sat down on the sofa beside her, “you treat me better than I deserve Barbara.”

Once again she surprised me by taking my hands in hers.

“No I don’t. A few years ago, you came to me because you needed to talk through your doubts about your relationship with Helen, do you remember?”

I nodded, not sure that I could trust myself to speak.

“I told you on that occasion that I had found a reason to get up in the morning, and you said you had found the same. We both knew what we were really saying, but we also knew that there was a line that neither of us would cross, or at least then we wouldn’t, but things have changed, and we’re not the same people that we were back then.”

I looked at her expectantly, wondering if I was misinterpreting her words. She glanced at her watch and then leaned towards me.

“Merry Christmas Tommy.”

Before I had a chance to respond she closed the final distance between us and kissed me tenderly. As her lips brushed against mine I felt warmth flood my body, and I slid my arms around her and pulled her closer. She reciprocated and somehow we found ourselves lying on the couch still kissing.

“Come to bed Barbara,” I whispered, almost afraid that in speaking I would shatter the moment. I needn’t have worried as she smiled at me, stood and then held out her hand. I took it and led her up the stairs, marvelling that this wonderfully infuriating woman who knew everything about me, and who could read me like a book, loved me. As we reached the bedroom door I kissed her deeply.

“I love you Barbara."

She smiled softly and melted into my embrace, "that's lucky because I happen to love you too."

I smiled back, lifted her into my arms and carried her into the bedroom. It was definitely going to be a happy Christmas this year, for both of us.


End file.
